...
The purpose of my latest review is to defend one such political pawn - public transport, or more accurately the First Mainline Bus Service.
First Mainline operates over 620 buses within South Yorkshire and employs over 2000 staff based at 4 different depots (Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster ... Read review
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Record Rent a Car is present in the main spanish airports and has a very wide fleet. We offer: exceptional discounts, free additional drivers,
unlimited mileage... subscribe to our Club Record and take advantage of special offers.
Advantages: Good Value For Money Disadvantages: Can Get Crowded At Busy Times
...or more accurately the First Mainline Bus Service.
First Mainline operates over 620 buses within South Yorkshire and employs over 2000 staff based at 4 different depots (Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley). With over 100 different routes they carry around 90 million passengers each year, serving Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, North-East Derbyshire, the Peak District, North Nottinghamshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire. .../>
The First Mainline group began operating in 1998, it was created from the amalgamation of several local bus companies which operated the routes until the middle of the 1970's. In 1970 these local companies were nationalised and operated under the newly formed SYPTE (South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive). Following de-regulation of all bus services in 1986 the local bus services were put once again back into the hands of commercial ... more
There are a few things in this world, which no matter how much money or effort the government throws at them they will always get a bad press. The purpose of my latest review is to defend one such political pawn - public transport, or more accurately the First Mainline Bus Service.
First Mainline operates over 620 buses within South Yorkshire and employs over 2000 staff based at 4 different depots (Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley). With over 100 different routes they carry around 90 million passengers each year, serving Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, North-East Derbyshire, the Peak District, North Nottinghamshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
I live in the centre of Sheffield less than 5 minutes walk from the main Interchange bus station and I travel to my work in Rotherham by bus every weekday. This is a distance of about 7 miles so by the end of the week I have clocked up around 70 miles on this route alone. Add onto this the smaller journeys I undertake over the weekend and the occasional evening and I reckon that I must average about 100 miles per week.
All of this with the minimum of hassle……
So who exactly are First Mainline?
The First Mainline group began operating in 1998, it was created from the amalgamation of several local bus companies which operated the routes until the middle of the 1970's. In 1970 these local companies were nationalised and operated under the newly formed SYPTE (South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive). Following de-regulation of all bus services in 1986 the local bus services were put once again back into the hands of commercial companies. First emerged from Midland Mainline, the largest of these operators and today, First in South Yorkshire is one of 24 bus operating companies, which makes up the bus division of First and together these make the First group the UK's largest bus company.
What do the buses look like?
The majority of First Mainline buses in South Yorkshire are single decker. They come in two main colours. The first being yellow with a red horizontal stripe across the top and botton. The second are more predominant type are mainly white, with a lilac and violet stripe across the top and bottom. The entrance to these buses is at the front and the white buses have a ramp for wheelchairs or pushchairs which folds down onto the pavement. Once you enter the bus and pay the driver there is usually wide seating area with plenty of space for prams and fold away seats. The seats are lilac with blue, violet and white vertical stripes on the white buses, and brown covers on the yellow buses with red, orange and yellow speckled patterns on them. In recent months many of the routes have been colour coded to help partially sighted people who struggle to see the numbers. For example, Orange line routes have an orange band on the front, Brown line routes a brown band etc.
How much does it all cost?
There are many different prices and plenty of concessionary tickets available. I pay £15 for a 7 day saver which gives me unlimited travel on any bus within South Yorkshire. Below is a summary of the standard prices as at June 2005.
Children under 16 and OAP 40p FirstDay All Day Saver £2.50 (£3.00 if purchased before 9am) FirstWeek 7 Day Saver Sheffield £12.50 Firstweek 7 Day Saver Doncaster £12.00 Firstweek 7 Day Saver Rotherham £12.00 FirstWeek South Yorkshire £15.00 FirstWeek Student Sheffield £8.00 FirstWeek Student South Yorkshire £10.00 FirstMonth Sheffield £43.00 (£41.00 online) FirstMonth Doncaster £41.00 (£39.00 online) FirstMonth Rotherham £41.00 (£39.00 online)
All tickets including single journey tickets and return tickets on some longer routes can be purchased from the driver, but monthly tickets have to be bought online or from the Customer Information at any of the main bus stations.
All bus timetables are available from the Customer Services at the bus stations are there are monitor screens on all platforms. Timetables are also available online at http://www.firstgroup.com There is also the South Yorkshire Travel Line which can contacted on 01709 515151. They provide you with timetables and all the latest information on all First buses in South Yorkshire.
Conclusion
Everybody always moans about the buses not running on time, or having to wait ages for a bus and then two turn up together, but to be honest I have had very few problems. The bus I catch to work runs every hour and always leaves on time. The attitude of the drivers varies greatly but they all seem to be as courteous as you can expect at 7 o'clock in the morning. With the sheer volume of people using their services everyday there are bound to be a few problems and in a busy city like Sheffield , some buses will always get stuck in traffic and not run on time. I think its about time that people realise that they do offer a good service and they do offer good value for money.
Advantages: sometimes gets you somewhere someone want to be Disadvantages: high prices for second rate service and constant service changes
First Mainline operate bus services throughout south Yorkshire in Rotherham, Sheffield, Doncaster and Some in Barnsley. They were originally Called Mainline and in Red and Yellow livery but now sport more attractive grey livery with pink and purple stripes and a purple "thin leaf" shape rising from these stripes. Although this livery looks very pretty on the newer buses it looks a little out of place on the older buses with the non-coordinating seat ... ...The vehicles owned by First Mainline are a range of buses varying from things that look 200 years old and are falling apart to those that are brand new and generally put onto services seemingly nobdy uses. Most of the buses are reasonable but by no means are they anything spectacular.
The routes...
You used to be able to get a bus to where you wanted to but unfortnately now you can not. it is now that buses terminate at random places. The number ...
DC-DanielColeflax 31.05.2007 (02.08.2009)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mainline Bus Company
Advantages: Beats Walking Disadvantages: Random Service
First Mainline Buses provide public transport facilities for the whole of South Yorkshire. Personally, I have never really liked using buses, as the service that you receive, varies dramatically from bus to bus.
SPOT THE BUSES
There are two types of First Mainline buses currently in circulation. Both are manufactured by Volvo and can be either single of double deckers. Single deckers have a capacity of about forty people sitting and eighteen people ... ...There is also a First Mainline logo in red on the side. You enter these buses from the front, where the driver is situated, usually via a couple of steps. Most of these buses have several rows of seats at either side with brown covers that have either a red, orange and yellow speckled pattern all over or a wide vertical red, orange and yellow stripe. However, some of these buses have a large luggage compartment with space for a single pram or buggy ...
rlb3 22.05.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mainline Bus Company
Advantages: it gets you from A to B Disadvantages: Everything else
...you do anything near a mainline bus. I get on a bus, mainly Mainline, everyday day twice a day. The reason why I mainly get on the Mainline bus is because it is the only one I can get on to travel the five miles to school every morning and then the five miles back again. The particular number bus I get on is the X78 to and from Sheffield to Doncaster Via Rotherham and Conisbrough and Meadowhall. I get on this bus at Conisbrough every morning (unless ... ...it down. Other than when Mainline decide to change the bus-times and when they finally put bins on buses the ride would be nearing pleasant. But that is as far as it gets. Along with this op. Mainline could also do with some new buses – the ones I get on are about a G reg, which, in my book, is pretty old. But other than the afore mentioned problems a reasonable ride to get you from A to B. But I can’t wait until I can drive! Foolish XxX ...
foolish 17.05.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mainline Bus Company
Quality of Rooms
Customer service
Frequency of bus / buses
Value for money
Reliability
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Mainline Bus Company"
Advantages: Fast, Cheap and Comfortable Disadvantages: Does Not Serve The Whole City, Often Congested
alongside First Mainline and other smaller local BusCompanies. All of the Stagecoach Staff are fully trained in Customer Care, conflict avoidance and Disability awareness.
I travel on the Sheffield Supertram quite regularly since I own a Shop at Hillsborough and there is a Tram stop directly outside it. From the City Centre to Hillsborough the journey by Tram is far quicker than by Bus or Car and also a lot cheaper than by the Bus.
The prices are quite simple and there is a maximum one way fare of just £1.80 or you can buy a Daysaver ticket for £2.70 which you can use as many times as you want during a day.
My fare to Hillsborough costs £1.80 each way so I always buy a Daysaver ticket for £2.70. This compares with a comparative Bus fare on First mainline of £2.10 for a single journey or £3.50 for a Daysaver. There are also ...
Advantages: lots of things to do Disadvantages: transport system can sometimes be a nightmare
a big way around the country and Sheffields own are hoping to snatch some silverware this year. Finally, i couldn't not talk about the football teams could i? United and Wednesday are in the First division and although United are higher, both teams play some good stuff at times. If you check the clubs websites there may be student ticket offers or discounts for younger people. A day at the footy will always take some bored youngster away from the doom and gloom.
----Transport----
Sheffields main buscompany is First Mainline which has transport vehicles all round the country. Last year the Mainline group brought in a timetable which promised buses every 10 minutes or better. Although there have been times when this promise has not come up to much, on the whole the buses are much better now than they were. Sheffield also has atram system ...
Advantages: Reasonably Cheap, Plenty Of Options Disadvantages: Roads Can Get Busy As With All Cities
years of age and OAPS travel free whilst children aged 5-16 can travel for 40p, although any child over 11 years old must produce a valid ID pass to verify their age. There is no discounted travel for students on Supertram.
In general Supertram ticket prices are similar to Bus fares for single routes within the city (see below) but the journey times on Supertram are a fraction of those same journeys by Bus as Supertram has priority on all routes. The majority of the tracks run alongside the edge of the roads but when a junction is approached the traffic lights automatically change to green for Supertram, hence a Supertram journey is fast and traffic jam free.
TRAVELLING BY BUS -
First Mainline operate the majority of the Buses in Sheffield although there are a few smaller companies also operating on specific routes. Yorkshire Terrier ...
![Can-i-bus [PA] - Canibus](http://imagesa.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/954/Can_i_bus_PA_Canibus__5964954.jpg)
